


In search of ideals using truths

by flyingleafbunny



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26793862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingleafbunny/pseuds/flyingleafbunny
Summary: During her search for N, Hilda found herself in the Kanto region. While getting the needed permission to access Mt. Silver, Hilda has been given an astonishing amount of help from two unlikely people.
Relationships: N | Natural Harmonia Gropius/Touko | Hilda, Ookido Green | Blue Oak & Red, Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red
Kudos: 14





	1. Victory as proof of strength

Hilda stared at the imposing structure of the Viridian City Gym, where she stood at the moment. She was advised by Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, to seek out Blue Oak who might help in her search for N. Hilda wasn’t exactly sure how Blue will help her but Brock reassured her that Blue knows people who can help her get to Mt. Silver. She already searched high and low in both Johto and Kanto but she hasn’t seen even a strand of N’s green hair. Though some locals did tell her they spotted a man with green hair riding an unknown Dragon Pokemon or talking to wild Pokemon. The man leaves just as quickly though, making the locals wonder if the man and his unknown Pokemon were just a figment of their imagination. The only place she hasn’t looked was Mt. Silver but that place is restricted to only the most skilled of trainers with approval by Professor Oak. 

These days, Hilda has been taking the Gym Challenge to get information and to gain access to restricted areas in the region. All the gym leaders are eager to battle her and gladly provide with as much information as she needed. Though they weren’t able to give her any information about N’s whereabouts, she was glad nonetheless that the gym leaders she met were nice enough to help her. 

"You're Hilda, right?" A bored voice snaps Hilda out of her thoughts. When she turned her head to the source of the voice, she felt like a Swanna hit by Thunderbolt. Because beside her is none other than Blue Oak, the Viridian Gym Leader and former Indigo League Champion. 

Hilda was left speechless for a moment before answering nervously. "Y-yes..." She wonders if Blue thought she's wasting his valuable time. He doesn't seem to be the friendly type based on how he looks at the moment. 

Blue just sighs exasperatedly and opens the doors to his gym. When he noticed that Hilda was still standing on the same spot, he looks over at her incredulously. "What are you standing there for? I thought you wanted to challenge me."

Hilda snapped out of her thoughts and meekly replied. "Y-yes." She then follows Blue into the gym. Before they got further, Blue turned on his heels and looked at Hilda with cold, calculating eyes. 

"You know the drill. Battle the trainers you meet on the path before facing me. I'll be waiting at the back." Blue instructed before disappearing into the maze.

* * *

Getting through the maze to get to the back of the gym was definitely something Hilda will never forget. The Viridian Gym could give the Mistralton Gym a run for their money in making every challenger’s head spinning. Last she heard from Cheren and Bianca, Skyla had upgraded the gym to use fans instead of cannons. That still wasn’t an improvement in Hilda’s opinion.   
One thing that Hilda noticed when she battled the Ace Trainers is that they use a wide variety of Pokemon. But as agreed with Blue, she defeated the Ace Trainers with help from her team. She was informed beforehand that Blue doesn’t stick to one type of Pokemon and it’s partly the reason why he’s the toughest Gym Leader in both Kanto and Johto. 

“I see you made it through the maze and the trainers.” Blue hums impressively as Hilda stood before him. He then took out a Poke ball and released his Exeggutor. “Show me what Unova has to offer.”

Hilda replied will steely determination. "I want to let you know I have no intention of losing." She then released her Galvantula. If Hilda’s right, Galvantula’s Bug type attacks will be super effective against Exeggutor due to its typing. 

“Galvantula, use Bug Buzz.” Hilda commanded with certainty in her strategy to win. Galvantula let out a shrill cry that directly hit Exeggutor. Sure enough, the attack dealt massive damage on the opponent. 

“Exeggutor, use Trick Room.” Blue commanded his Exeggutor with a counter to Hilda’s Galvantula. Exeggutor uses its psychic powers to enclose the battle floor with a weird, boxy aura that traps both Pokemon inside it. 

“Exeggutor, use Leaf Storm.” Blue commanded as Exeggutor complies and releases a flurry of sharp leaves that hit Galvantula. Fortunately, Galvantula was not damaged much. But, Hilda was frustrated that her speedy Galvantula couldn’t hit first due to the effects of Trick Room. She bit her lower lip to think of a strategy to counter the effects of Trick Room or think of a way to make Trick Room work in her favor. 

Hilda then commanded her Galvantula to use Volt Tackle to hit Exeggutor and make a free switch to her female Jellicent. It may be risky, Hilda thinks, but she trusts that her Jellicent will be able to endure any hits. Plus, she might be able to work Jellicent’s slow speed to her advantage while Trick Room is in effect. 

Blue watches with amusement as Hilda lets out a command. “Jellicent, use Shadow Ball.” Jellicent formed a dark sphere first before directing it to Exeggutor, who took a lot of damage from the attack. 

"Exeggutor, use Wood Hammer." Blue commanded as Exeggutor attacks with a wooden hammer to deal massive damage to Jellicent. Unfortunately for Exeggutor, the recoil damage took a good chunk of its HP. If Hilda's calculations are right, she just needed to give one more command to her Jellicent.   
Hilda then took the opportunity to finish off the opponent. "Jellicent, finish off with Ice Beam." Jellicent then let out a frozen beam directed to Exeggutor to defeat it once and for all. The opposing Exeggutor fainted after taking the brunt of the attack. 

Blue returns Exeggutor to its Poke ball and released his Rhyperior. Hilda switches to her Krookodile instead. Hilda's aware that Trick Room's effect will diminish in turn or two and Rhyperior will have the advantage during that time. But she trusts that her Krookodile will pull through. 

"Rhyperior, use Megahorn." Rhyperior's horn grew brighter and bigger before ramming it to Krookodile. Because Megahorn is a Bug type attack, it was super effective against the part Dark type Krookodile. Hilda flinched as her Krookodile took what seems to be a painful attack. 

But Hilda did not let the ordeal deter her as she stood her ground and commanded. “Krookodile, use Earthquake.” Krookodile complied as the ground shook violently and dealt massive damage with the opposing Rhyperior. 

Trick Room’s effect wore off as the weird aura suddenly dissipates. Hilda wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation to her favor. “Krookodile, use Grass Knot.” Krookodile unleashes a thick vine to ensnare the opposing Rhyperior. The damage was massive owing to Rhyperior’s typing and weight. However, Rhyperior is still standing after the attack. Blue took the opportunity to give a more command. “Rhyperior, use Megahorn again.” Krookodile was slammed once more by a ramming horn. Both Pokemon are in critical health so Hilda gave out one final command. “Krookodile, finish off with Grass Knot.” Rhyperior was ensnared again by a thick vine and fainted after taking the brunt of the attack.

Blue returns Rhyperior to its Poke ball and sent out his Machamp. Hilda decided to keep Krookodile to land one more hit before she uses another Pokemon. “Krookodile, use Aerial Ace.” Krookodile speedily unleashed an attack akin to a swordsman’s elegant slash of their weapon. Machamp took a great deal of damage from the sudden attack.

Blue was quick to give one command to finish off Hilda’s Krookodile. “Machamp, finish off with Superpower.” Machamp charges itself with unbelievable power before ramming itself to hit Krookodile, who in turn, had fainted from the attack. 

Hilda recalls Krookodile and released her male Unfezant. She’s starting to understand now why Blue is the toughest Gym Leader in both Kanto and Johto. With no type specialty, Blue pretty much has his team tailor fit to counter any kind of Pokemon. Add to the fact that his team is armed with a wide variety of powerful moves. Hilda admits to herself that this Gym battle is the most fun and challenging she has so far. 

“It’s not over yet. We still have tricks up our sleeves.” Hilda declares boldly before she lets out a command. “Unfezant, use Air Cutter.” Unfezant followed by unleashing a flurry of sharp, windy slashes that landed critical hits on the opposing Machamp. A good thing too seeing that Machamp was weakened severely by the previous Superpower attack. 

“Machamp, use Stone Edge.” Blue readies with a counterattack as Machamp punches the ground where a large and sharp stone pierces Unfezent from below. The attack dealt massive damage to Unfezant so Hilda has to think fast for a solution. Unfezant and Machamp have the same amount of HP so a strong move is needed to defeat it.

Hilda then settled for Unfezant using a highly risky move. “Unfezant, use Brave Bird!” Unfezant surrounds itself with an intense aura then charges straight to Machamp, who fainted from the attack. But because of the horrific recoil damage, Unfezant also fainted.   
Hilda and Blue released their Pokemon at the same time. She's thankful that she saved her Jellicent since Blue has released his Arcanine.

"Arcanine, use Crunch." Arcanine bares its sharp teeth and bites down hard on Jellicent, who keeled over in pain. Hilda flinches as if she was also hit by the attack. 

Not one to deter, Hilda commanded her Pokemon. "Jellicent, use Hydro Pump." A huge blast of water was directed to Arcanine, where the super effective attack dealt massive damage. Arcanine retaliated by charging it's fangs with electricity and biting down once more on Jellicent. "Arcanine, use Thunder Fang."

Jellicent’s health is at the critical level so Hilda has to retaliate fast. “Jellicent, use Hydro Pump one more time.” Jellicent let out one more powerful burst of water directed at Arcanine, who fainted from the attack. 

Blue then called out his Tyranitar, who stood menacingly in front of him. “Tyranitar, use Crunch.” A strong bite attack from Tyranitar was all it took for Jellicent to finally faint.   
Hilda has released her Galvantula.

“Galvantula, use Bug Buzz.” A shrill sound emanated from Galvantula that directly hit the opposing Tyranitar, who keeled over from the attack. A great deal of damage was made onto Tyranitar. However, Blue didn’t become a gym leader if he didn’t train his Pokemon this well. Hilda realized this fact the longer the battle drags on. 

“Tyranitar, use Stone Edge.” Tyranitar had stomped hard on the ground where a sharp boulder pierced Galvantula from below. The attack took a good amount of health from Galvantula. It doesn’t help that Galvantula’s defenses aren’t exactly the best among her Pokemon. 

Still, Hilda stays strong. Galvantula is still standing even if the attack was super effective. Whatever the results may be, Hilda is willing to trust her Pokemon to do one more attack. "Galvantula, use Bug Buzz one more time." Galvantula let another shrill attack as Tyranitar received a good amount of damage. 

"Tyranitar, finish off with another Stone Edge." Another sharp boulder pierced Galvantula from below which finally brought the Bug Pokemon to faint. 

"You're my only hope now." Hilda whispers to her Poke ball before releasing Emboar. Hilda will just need to command one attack to bring down Tyranitar. 

"Emboar, use Hammer Arm." Emboar swung one of it's strong arms and pounded hard on Tyranitar, who fainted after taking the brunt of the attack. However, Emboar slowed down a bit after returning to position. 

"Prepare to taste defeat." Blue smugly declares as he sends out his Pidgeot, who stood majestically. "Pidgeot, use Air Slash."

A sharp blade made out of air was directed at Emboar, who keeled over from the attack. Hilda retaliates with a counterattack. "Emboar, use Scald."

Emboar released a stream of boiling water at Pidgeot. Hilda's plan of inflicting Burn on Pidgeot worked since it appears to keel over in pain. 

"Pidgeot, use Return." Pidgeot, being the most loyal and tame out of Blue's Pokemon, obeyed immediately and tackled Emboar with great force. However, the burn left by Scald minimized the damage and took a bit of Pidgeot's health. "Perhaps I'll be the one to taste defeat." Blue muses to himself as he looks at Hilda with newfound respect. 

"Emboar, use Rock Slide." A barrage of boulders were released high into the air that struck Pidgeot, who flinched from the sudden attack. Pidgeot wasn't able to move so Hilda took the opportunity to let out another command. "Emboar, finish up with Flare Blitz." It's a risky attack, Hilda knows, but she had a plan in mind. 

Emboar cloaks itself with searingly hot flames then recklessly tackles Pidgeot. The recoil damage took out a significant amount of health from both Pokemon. But since Hilda equipped a Focus Sash on Emboar, it was still standing with 1 HP left. Pidgeot fainted soon after. 

* * *

Blue smirks in satisfaction as he returns Pidgeot back to its Poke ball. “I’m impressed that you were able to beat me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m frustrated that I lost.” Blue continues with his post battle speech. “But even I know when to admit defeat especially to a strong and talented trainer. As agreed, here’s the Earth badge as proof of your victory.” He handed out a shiny green badge resembling a plant which Hilda accepted gratefully. “Thanks.”

Blue begins to speak seemingly to no one in particular. “Hey, I know you’ve been watching us the whole time. Why don’t you show yourself here?”

Hilda tilts her head in confusion until a figure emerges from the shadows behind Blue. The figure wears a red cap and a Pikachu was perched on his shoulders. Hilda feels like her Galvantula hit her with Thunderbolt. Because the figure is none other than Red, former Kanto Champion and the hero who stopped Team Rocket from taking over Kanto. The boy who is hailed as an elusive, yet strong trainer. Hilda and her friends have heard about Red’s adventure and his encounters with Team Rocket. She and Cheren have heard how he rose to the top of the Indigo League at the tender age of 11. It fueled their desire to become Champions of their home region as well. 

“What do you think of this girl? Pretty impressive, right?” Blue asks Red, who nods in affirmation. Because of his quiet disposition and stoic aura, Red seems just as intimidating as Blue. "Glad that my famed rival thinks the same."

While Hilda was frozen in place admiring both trainers, Blue and Red turned around to look at her. “I heard the specifics from Brock. You’re not here to challenge the League, right?” Blue begins to interrogate her. 

“Yes.” Hilda admitted. 

“Then why are you here challenging gyms and asking for permission to access restricted areas?” Blue glared questioningly as he still doesn't understand her intentions. 

“Actually, I’m looking for someone.” Hilda admits further. “I’ve search almost all of Kanto and the only place I haven’t searched yet is Mt. Silver. Brock told me you might be able to help so I went here. I expected that I’d have to beat you first so I came prepared.”

“It’s true that you have to challenge me and earn the Earth Badge to prove yourself as a strong trainer. Gramps would only allow the strongest trainers there.” Blue then realizes that something’s still amiss. “Still, I don’t get why this person you’re looking for would go to Mt. Silver. That place is dangerous.”

“I heard that area has a lot of Pokemon. I’m sure that he’s there for that reason alone.” It’s as much as Hilda can tell without revealing that N has a powerful Legendary Pokemon with him. Besides, N would try to talk to Pokemon first for them to get to his side, no matter how belligerent they are. He would always be successful in getting Pokemon to his side. 

Blue sighs exasperatedly. He still doesn't understand Hilda's reasons but just accepts it after seeing the determined look on her face. “Fine. Whatever. Just ask permission from my Gramps and he’ll pull the strings for you.” He turns to instruct his friend. “Red, why don’t you take her to Gramps’s lab? I’m sure that your mom is looking for you anyway.” Red nods in agreement. 

“You two better get going now. I still have some challengers for today. I’ll be there before evening. Smell ya later.” Blue waves them off as he returns to his spot at the back of the gym. Red looks over at Hilda, motioning for her to follow him. Hilda diligently follows him out of the lab. 


	2. The quiet little town that feels like home

The walk towards Pallet Town was stiff and silent. Red was leading the way but he didn’t looked back or even attempted to start a conversation. The Pikachu on Red’s shoulder has been curiously looking at Hilda. She smiled at the adorable Pikachu who seems to have taken a liking to her. 

As soon as they’ve gotten out of the tall grass, Hilda looks at the tranquil town before her. A sense of nostalgia hits her as Pallet Town reminds her of her home town. Homesickness took over as Hilda hasn’t been home for quite a long time ever since she left Unova to search for N. 

Red led her to the largest building in town that has a wide backyard filled with various Pokemon. He knocks thrice before letting himself in with Hilda following him. They were greeted by two women seated at a table, apparently having their tea. 

The older woman hugs Red while fussing over him. Judging from this act and her resemblance to him, Hilda guesses that this woman is Red's mother. Hilda is suddenly reminded of her own mother. She wonders how her mother is doing now. She feels rather guilty for her sudden departure where she just told her mother that she's leaving Unova on the day that she left. Though supportive, Hilda's mother couldn't hide her sadness so Hilda makes sure she calls home whenever she can. 

"Hello there. My name is Daisy. I'm Blue's sister." The younger woman introduces herself politely to Hilda. Daisy shares the same hair color as her brother, only a shade or two lighter. Unlike her brother, Daisy exudes an kind aura that makes people feel easy and comfortable. "Blue told us everything as soon as you left the gym. Grandpa is just finishing something but he'll be here soon."

Meanwhile, Pikachu was greeted by the Eevee that was just lounging at a chair not too far from them. Pikachu and Eevee squealed in delight before playing with each other. Both Hilda and Daisy cooed at the adorable scene. 

"Eevee here is Blue's Pokemon. She's more of a pet than anything else so Blue doesn't use her in battles." Daisy explained. "Anyway, where are you from?"

"Unova." Hilda replied.

"That's pretty far away. I heard that there's a lot of things Unova has to offer. I'd love to go to Nimbasa City and watch the Pokemon Musical there." Daisy babbled on as Hilda listens. Apparently, Daisy used to be a Contest Star and often went to Hoenn and Sinnoh to participate in the Contests there. These days, Daisy is content with helping in her grandfather's lab and grooming Pokemon. Pokemon naturally flock to her because of her kind nature. Hilda muses that N would consider Daisy to be a kindred spirit with their affinity for Pokemon. 

A large door opens to reveal Professor Oak, Blue and Daisy's grandfather and one of the leading authorities when it comes to Pokemon research. Professor Oak looks a bit weary but welcoming nonetheless. 

"Ah Red, good to see you once more. And I assume that you're Hilda. Nice to meet you." Professor Oak greeted merrily as he and Hilda shook hands professionally. "I already heard everything from Blue. Why don't you show me all the badges that you have? Not that I don't trust your skills as a trainer but it is standard procedure before I give you permission to access Mt. Silver." Professor Oak explains as Hilda shows him all the badges she got during her journey and search for N. Professor Oak hums impressively. 

"This is magnificent. I'm informed that you're from Unova. I'm assuming you're well acquainted with both Professor Juniper." Hilda nods as Professor Oak boots open a huge computer. "I used to do research with Cedric Juniper. Why, I still remember meeting Aurea when she was just a tiny baby." 

Speaking of which, the computer booted up and Professor Aurea Juniper's face appears on the screen. As usual, she greeted Hilda merrily. "Hi there Hilda. Nice of you to call me. I just finished talking to Professor Elm from Johto about Pokemon eggs."

Just then, she almost fell from her seat. "Is that Professor Samuel Oak of Kanto?!" Professor Aurea Juniper shouted loudly while Professor Oak just waved at her cheerfully. "Hello Aurea. How's your research going?"

Professor Juniper replied happily. "It's going great. Professor Elm and I are currently researching together on how the first Pokemon came to being. We're currently working with Professor Rowan for any information about the legendary Pokemon there. Cynthia has been a big help with our research." She then turned towards the back. "Hey dad, guess who I'm talking to right now."

Cedric Juniper seemed to have sprinted as he looks to be out of breath. "Samuel Oak? Is that you? My, it has been a long time, has it?"

Professor Oak chuckled. "Yes, it's been quite a while indeed." At that point, both Professors are so engrossed in their own conversation that they have seemingly forgotten their surroundings.

Daisy sighs exasperatedly beside Hilda. "Oh boy. Once you get Grandpa to start talking about Pokemon and research, he'll never stop." Aurea just nods along, indicating her father is the same.

"It'll be a while before Grandpa comes back to us. Why don't I groom and massage one of your Pokemon in the meantime?" Daisy offers so Hilda gladly accepted. "I want to see what kind of Pokemon Unova has." Daisy said as Hilda hands her one of her Pokemon. 

Hilda told Daisy that she'll be outside of the lab in the meantime. She started to observe the backyard, noting that the Pokemon seem to be well cared for. There's nothing more than N would love than seeing Pokemon happy, even if they were used for research.   
Hilda sat on one of the nearby benches outside the lab after a bit of walking. She looked at the sky and noticed that the sun is starting to set soon. No matter. She would still have enough time to get back to Viridian City before night falls. 

"What's Unova like?" A soft yet unfamiliar voice out of nowhere surprised Hilda. Even more surprising is the owner of the voice. Hilda turned her head to her side and was shocked that Red has sat at the opposite end of the bench. What surprised Hilda the most is the fact that he’s talking to her after what seems to be a long time.

So Red does speak after all, Hilda thinks as Red gives her a piercing gaze. Yet, those same eyes exude a childlike curiosity. 

At first, Hilda didn't know how to respond to the question. But as she has come to miss Unova, she wanted to share it's beauty and uniqueness to other people. "Well, this town reminds me too much of home. I also came from a small, quiet town where the sea is just a few walks away." As soon as she started talking, the words flowed easily out of her mouth. Hilda has talked about how unique and varied Unova is. From the quiet towns to the bustling cities, she described them all in loving details. She talked about Nacrene City's artistic atmosphere, Castelia City's tall skyscrapers, Nimbasa City's numerous attractions, Driftveil City's ever changing atmosphere and much more. She also describes Unova's unique and large bridges and the winding paths of Pinwheel forest and Icirrus moor. 

All the while, Red has been patiently listening to Hilda's stories. As it turns out, Red is easy to talk to mainly because he listens really well. Underneath his stoic aura, Red is really just a curious boy who cares deeply for Pokemon. 

Hilda does have a few questions of her own directed to Red. At this point, she felt comfortable enough with Red. "So why did you stay up there on Mt. Silver?"

Red shrugs nonchalantly. "To get stronger."

"Oh." Hilda suspects that it wasn't the only reason. But she didn't push any further. It's much better to let Red open up so she accepts his answer, no matter how vague it is. "Does it get lonely up there?" 

Red simply nods. He looks a bit melancholic for a moment. But then, a small smile graced his lips as he said. "Blue visited me often while I was there."

"Really? I never would have guessed Blue is the caring type. He doesn't look like it." Hilda has learned that the most intimidating looking people may be kinder than they let on. Her mother did teach her to never judge people by their appearances alone. 

Red chuckles. "Blue looks out for others. He just doesn't like others to see it."

“So what’s your relationship with Blue? You seem to know a lot about him.” Hilda asks curiously.

Red responded. “Blue is my best friend. We’ve known each other as far as I can remember.”

“Really? How did someone like you end up being friends with someone like Blue?” Hilda asks with surprise evident in her face. Red simply shrugs.

Hilda looks up with fondness in her eyes. "He does remind me of my friend back home. During our journey, my friend Cheren wanted to become a Champion to prove that he's a strong trainer. I guess something happened during our journey that changed his goals because he's now training to become a gym leader."

As the sun dips lower into the horizon, a silhouette overhead gets closer, revealing to be Blue riding on his Pidgeot. Hilda stands up just as Blue lands in front of them, intending to go back inside and take back her Pokemon from Daisy. 

Before Hilda went one step further, she stopped when Blue began to interrogate her. "Wait just a minute. I have a few questions for you."

Blue began asking. "I still don't get why this person you're looking for would go to somewhere as dangerous as Mt. Silver. Even more than that, I don't get why you're chasing them, leaving home to go to a faraway region." Blue crosses his arms and gives a scrutinizing gaze. "So tell me. What's your relationship with this person?"

Hilda freezes for a moment. She doesn't really understand what kind of relationship she has with N. So she came up with the best answer she can think of. "He's a friend of mine."

"Doesn't this guy ever contact you?" Blue begins to look even more skeptical. 

Hilda just shook her head sadly. "No. This is exactly why I left Unova to look for him."

"Can you describe him to us?" Red asks curiously as he stands up.

Hilda started to describe N but unknowingly does it in a way that she waxes on admiringly. "He's a good looking guy with innocent blue eyes and thick, green hair. He's really tall. Well, taller than the two of you. I guess that’s because he’s older. But he wears clothes that doesn’t make him look old." Both Blue and Red caught the lovestruck look on her fave as she continues. "The most amazing thing about him is that Pokemon seem to like him instantly. He also has this awesome ability to talk and understand Pokemon. I’ve never met anyone who could do that." 

Blue bursts out laughing. He finds it cheesy that the girl in front of him does something that he only heard about in Daisy's books. "I get now why you're doing all of these. The guy that you're looking for is your boyfriend."

Hilda blushed furiously and frantically denies the allegations. "H-he's not my boyfriend!"

Blue continues with his teasing. "Not yet anyway."

The blush is still present on Hilda’s face but she now sports a pout. "I told you. He's just my friend. What made you think that he's my boyfriend?!"

Blue shrugs sarcastically. "I dunno. The fact that you left home and went to a region faraway, searching high and low for a 'good looking guy who loves Pokemon so much that he can talk to them'."

Hilda retorts. "Oh yeah. If Red is just your 'famed rival', then how come you go to a mountain often just to visit him?"

Now it was Blue's turn to be caught off guard. "Who told you that?!"

Hilda simply points at Red, who seems to be trying too hard not to laugh at the bickering in front of him. "He did."

Blue shot Red a glare so powerful that even an Arbok would be paralyzed in fear. Red simply brushes it off. Blue then tried to give a stern explanation. 

"Listen. I only go to that Arceus forsaken mountain just to make sure that this idiot is still alive. If I don't, his mom, Gramps, Daisy and everyone else will nag me until I do something. This guy just doesn't get that others worry for him."

"Yeah right." Hilda doesn't believe Blue for a second but decides to just give him the benefit of the doubt in the meantime. 

Blue then turns to ask Red before getting out of topic. “Anyway. Red, did you see anyone who fits her description? I haven’t seen any green haired guy talking to Pokemon here in Kanto.”

Red pauses for a moment to think deeply before replying. “I think I saw someone like that when I went back to Mt. Silver 3 days ago.”

Blue and Hilda shared a look of disbelief before proceeding to bombard Red with questions. 

“How come you didn’t tell me another person was there?” Blue asks incredulously. As a Gym Leader, he ought to know seeing that part of his duties would be making sure that civilians would be safe from harm. 

“I didn’t think he was someone you’d taken an interest in.” Red replied honestly. 

“I thought you needed Professor Oak's permission to even go to Mt. Silver. How did he even get inside?” Hilda asks as she stares in disbelief. Even though N would avoid contact with people, Hilda still finds it incredibly hard to believe that N would go somewhere dangerous without anyone knowing. 

Red shrugs. “I just noticed him once I got inside.”

Red decided to calm both Blue and Hilda by simply telling them what he saw. When he got entered Mt. Silver and got deeper into the cave, he noticed a green haired man talking and tending to Pokemon. Red admired the man's ability to make any kind of Pokemon flock to him easily. Before Red got any closer, the man seemed to have just left as quickly. Red noticed that there were tracks of someone ascending the mountain so he decided to go to the peak. Once he got there, he noticed that the tracks stopped at the same spot where he often stood. The last thing that Red saw was a huge black Pokemon flying in the sky. He didn’t see if the green haired man was riding the huge black Pokemon since the Pokemon was too far to be recognized properly at that point. 

“Better for us to talk to Gramps now that we have a lead on where your boyfriend was.” Blue said to Hilda as the three of them went inside the lab to meet with Professor Oak, who greeted them merrily. Hilda would assume that the talk with Cedric Juniper has ended at some point though Hilda would assume it took quite a while. 

“Good to see you three. Hilda, you have my permission to go to Mt. Silver. Here’s proof of that.” Professor Oak gave Hilda a badge of some sort where Hilda can just present at the people guarding Mt. Silver. “Thanks Professor.”

“I’ll go back to my work. I still have to continue my research after all.” Professor Oak then went back inside to his study room. 

Daisy appeared from the kitchen to give back the Pokemon that Hilda allowed her to groom. She thanked Daisy profusely for the grooming and the massages, to which Daisy kindly told her it was a pleasure. 

Hilda turned to Red and Blue, who seemed to be engaged in a silent conversation. “Thanks again guys for your help. I better get back to Viridian City before it gets dark. I have a big day tomorrow.” Hilda said as she was about to leave. 

Red and Blue seemed to have reached an agreement of some sort based on the meaningful look they gave to each other. Blue spoke first before Hilda went out of the lab.

“Hey, Red and I agreed to help you in looking for your boyfriend.” Hilda just stared at Blue in disbelief. “Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Of course you would need our help. Red here knows Mt. Silver better than anyone else. And I have to make sure you two don’t die. Arceus knows just how vicious everything in Mt. Silver is.” Blue explained as Hilda tilts her head in confusion. 

“Wouldn’t it bother the two of you? I mean you have a gym to run.” Hilda directs her question to Blue, 

Blue just scoffs. “Please. I can run the gym however I like. I'll just close it for the day." Hilda could not believe that the most powerful Gym Leader she has battled seemed way too carefree with his duties. On the other hand, the Gym Leaders back in Unova also have other jobs so it's not like the Pokemon League association is that strict with attendance anyway. 

“What about you? Don’t you have better things to do than help a hopeless trainer with their wild Swanna chase?” Hilda looks at Red with a self deprecating smile. 

Red just shrugs while holding the brim of his cap. “I like helping people out.” 

“Red isn’t even tied to anything at the moment. He has more free time than I do.” Blue explains while he has his arms slung over Red’s shoulders. 

Blue’s got a point. Hilda thinks carefully as she finally accepted their generous offer. “Well, okay then. I suppose you’d be accompanying me tomorrow.”

“Yep. We’ll meet you tomorrow at the Viridian City Pokemon Center at dawn.” Blue then pointed out Hilda's outfit. "Oh, and wear warmer clothes. We're not gonna go and frolick at a beach." 

"I will." Hilda smiles gratefully as she heads out of the lab. 


End file.
